Did David Lee Roth Contribute to Michael Anthony’s Fundraising Walk?

In news that should warm the heart of every Van Halen fan, it appears that David Lee Roth has donated an impressive sum of money to Michael Anthony's upcoming fundraising walk in honor of his recently deceased grandson.

As previously reported, Anthony announced he was joining the walk late last month — shortly after saying goodbye to his infant grandson Rex, who died at just over two weeks old after undergoing an emergency procedure to correct a heart condition. A fundraiser for Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where Rex received care, the Walk L.A. event is scheduled for June 17; Anthony's goal was to raise $3,450 for his team, dubbed Rex and the Heart Beaters.

As the Van Halen News Desk points out, that goal has been handily eclipsed — in large part due to the generosity of the campaign's top donor, a Mr. Dave Roth, who chipped in $10,000 for the cause. While this isn't exactly official confirmation that Roth was indeed the donor, it at least seems somewhat likely, and even if Roth wasn't really the guy behind the generous donation, it's great to see Anthony raising funds for his cause so effectively.

Anthony and Roth haven't played together for years, and Roth echoed the sentiments of many fans when he pointed out that the bassist's absence was keenly felt when Van Halen reunited without him for the Different Kind of Truth LP. "What we have at our fingertips is arguably one of the greatest high tenor voices ever — that was in Michael Anthony," Roth mused in 2013. "In our tiny little corner of the universe, that voice is as identifiable as the high voice in Earth, Wind & Fire, as identifiable as the high voice in the Beach Boys … so I would always look forward to that reunion."